2 Samuel 16:17 meaning and explanation
“Is this the loyalty you show your friend?” Absalom replied. “Why did you not go with your friend?”
2 Samuel 16:17, Berean Standard Bible
Explanation preview
Absalom has just entered Jerusalem as a usurper, and Hushai the Archite, David's friend and counselor, greets him with the royal salute "Long live the king!" Absalom's sharp reply tests that loyalty, since Hushai had been close to David and had not left the city with him. The word rendered "loyalty" is chesed, a Hebrew term for steadfast covenant kindness, and Absalom is asking whether Hushai's friendship was ever genuine.
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